Earlier this year the single “Fly” was released. It was taken from A TWIST IN THE MYTH which is the follow-up to the disliked album A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. In order to give this album a fair review, I have to admit I’m not a big fan of the band. I’ve listened to it numerous times and to be honest the album didn’t do anything for me until the 7th or 10th listening.

Blind Guardian hasn’t changed their music formula in the slightest; it’s still symphonic/progressive metal with Hansi Kursch on lead vocals. The major change with this album is the more progressive direction the band has taken. The quality of the material is pretty high and the stronger songs are the opening track “This Will Never End”, the melodic “Otherland”, “Turn the Page”, the beautiful ballad “Carry the Blessed Home”, “Another Stranger”, “Lionheart”, “The Edge”, and the emotional “The New Order”. Charlie Bauerfeind’s production also sounds great.

I’d guess that newer fans are going to have an easier time getting into this album because of the easier songs and the more progressive musical direction. It takes a while before you discover the album’s high points, and I’m not sure that everyone has as much time to spend on an album as me. I’m not yet convinced about the greatness of this album, so I give it a medium rating for now because I had higher hopes for it.